People enjoy the tropical beach of Sanya, South China's Hainan Province during the May Day holidays. Photos: IC

The number of Chinese people traveling during the May Day holidays this year exceeded the same period in 2019. This is a miracle under the backdrop of the global pandemic. But we should be concerned that travel spending during the past holidays only reached 77 percent of 2019 levels.

It seems that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is, to some extent, still there. When it comes to consumption, there are still many people who are too afraid to spend money. During the past two years, China's economy has performed quite well despite the trade war with the US, and the novel coronavirus. We can even say that the economic landscape in China is beyond compare on a global level. However, at the same time, if we look inward, there are people in some industries who complain that their income is not growing very much. Some even say that their income is declining. Some argue that the real purchasing power of their income is going down. It is a situation that needs great attention.

The most important thing is to let people not only earn money, but also make more money. This is the source of people's confidence, the basis of stability, and the key connotation of prosperity. Whether the income has increased or not is a hard indicator, which ordinary people are clearly aware of. Creating more employment opportunities and more high-paying jobs is not only an economic issue, but is also a political issue.

In comparison to other countries across the world, China is doing very well right now. Especially against the backdrop in which global economy is in transition and every country is encountering difficulties. But China has managed to advance in transition. This can be regarded as an achievement. Meanwhile, the majority of the public are living in their personal memories and individual happiness. The desire for income growth and a better life is the public's primary expectation toward their life. Therefore, China should strive to overcome the disruption of the COVID-19 epidemic and other difficulties, tackle all kinds of problems, and improve the income of the public. This should be the fundamental direction of all work in local authorities.

The author is editor-in-chief of the Global Times. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn